China Shipping has completed a major phase of its terminal expansion project at the Port of Los Angeles, adding a new 925-foot section of wharf, 18 additional acres of backland and four new container cranes that will increase cargo throughput.

“This allows for the berthing of two ships simultaneously and positively positions China Shipping and the port for considerable growth opportunities,” said the carrier’s chairman, Li Shaode.

The news comes at time, however, when container throughput has been declining. According to Zepol Corporation—a leading trade data and market intelligence company—there’s been a shift in share over the past year.

“Long Beach and Los Angeles lost a combined 4 percent and 14 percent, respectively,” says Zepol’s president, Paul Rasmussen. “East Coast ports are picking up this traffic. NewYork/New Jersey and Houston were the biggest winners on the container front.”

China Shipping operates the West Basin Container Terminal at the Port of Los Angeles. With the most recent $47.6 million expansion phase completed, the terminal now has 2,125 feet of wharf space and eight super post-Panamax cranes, handling cargo operations for the China Shipping, Yang Ming, K-Line, Cosco, Hanjin, Sinotrans and Zim shipping lines. China Shipping also has a joint venture with a neighboring container terminal at the port, operated by Yang Ming Shipping Line.

As part of the latest improvements, an access bridge was also constructed between China Shipping and Yang Ming for truck movement of cargo between the two terminals. Over the next three years, 375 feet of additional wharf space will be added, along with more backland space that will eventually double the size of China Shipping to 142 acres.

When completed, China Shipping’s expanded terminal operations will increase container terminal capacity to accommodate an annual throughput of 1.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). China Shipping plans to install two additional super Post-Panamax cranes after the final wharf expansion is completed, bringing the total crane count to 10.

About the Author

Patrick Burnson, Executive Editor

Patrick Burnson is executive editor for Logistics Management and Supply Chain Management Review magazines and web sites. Patrick is a widely-published writer and editor who has spent most of his career covering international trade, global logistics, and supply chain management. He lives and works in San Francisco, providing readers with a Pacific Rim perspective on industry trends and forecasts. You can reach him directly at [email protected]

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